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History of K-pop :: Second Generation

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Monday, 18th October 2021

Finally, it's the 2nd Generation, the idol groups are back and the public is used to the word idol.

SM entertainment introduced TVXQ in 2004. They get the rookie awards, actually all the awards and gets Daesang on their 2nddebut year and gets a Grand Slam in 2006, another Grand Slam in 2008, Au contraire is number one in Japan. It's not a stretch to say they basically conquered Korea, Japan and China. SM got rich, they made more groups like Super Junior in 2005, Girls Generation in 2007, Shinee and f(x) in 2009. Super Junior became extremely popular with the songs like Sorry Sorry in China and Southeast Asia.

Girls Generation becomes the nation's girl group with its stunning visuals and charming songs like Kissing you and Baby Baby. They go on to conquer Japan, with their songs Gee, Genie and Oh! bringing all those titles from Japan's charts and albums sales.

Shinee puts out super addictive songs like Juliet, Ring Ding Dong, Lucifer and achieves attention from mostly Japan and Southeast Asia, eventually touring around all these areas. F(x) shows the experimental side of SM, they carry a unique concept with all their songs and obscure lyrics. Their unique electronic songs get very positive reactions from professional music critics. And then we start to see non-Korean members, such as Victoria and Amber. With all these groups, SM is now all over Asia. But then comes a big group, Big Bang.

(Girls Generation)

Big Bang from the YG entertainment is a little different. Debuted in 2006 with five members from a real survival program conducted by Yang Hyungsuk himself, Big Bang places its roots into hip hop. In 2007, they released their EP Always, with the song Lies. This song became so big that it made them escalate to the top immediately. Then major hit songs like Last Farewell, Haru Haru, Red Sunset made them the unquestionable number one group in Korea. They go on doing solo, awards, Japan activities, world tours, sweep awards, it's pointless to list their achievements (cause they are huge). They go on in their career with mega-hits like Blue, Fantastic Baby, Loser, Bang Bang Bang.

Big Bang becomes the most popular, influential, listened to group. No male group can rival them in second-generation except maybe early TVXQ. The biggest point that differentiated them would be that the general public including men loved and sang most of their hit songs. Big Bang's leader, G-dragon produced most of these mega-hit songs, not to mention a successful solo work and lives as Korea's biggest fashion, music and tread icon to this day.

(Big Bang)

So who is Girl Generation rival then? In YG entertainment, probably 2NE1. The four-member group debuted in 2009 with a very different concept, a strong female image. They release mega-hits like Fire, I don't care, Go away, Lonely, and I am the best. Ranked as one of the best Kpop groups of the past decade by billboard, a female group that finally offered an alternative group from the traditional pretty, cutesy girl group stereotype. Girls Generation and 2NE1 were rivals in style because they were so different. However, the two groups were huge and probably the most successful girl groups in 2ndGeneration Kpop history.

Speaking of girl groups, we have to go back to JYP, because JYP is known as the girl group 'Royal Company'. Wonder Girls was among one debuted in 2007, put out major hits like Tell me, So hot and Nobody, which were all viral hits within the nation and Asia due to the simple and catchy point dances. In 2008, they went to the higher Seoul Music Awards and received their first Daesang as a girl group competing with Big Bang and TVXQ. Before Girls Generation got extremely popular, they had the nation's girl group title in 2007 and 2008. Their style was distinct compared to the Girls generation in 21', because it was mostly electro-pop or electro-funk. Wonder Girls were the first to appear on an American Tv show, showing the possibilities of expansion of Kpop into the west.

(Wonder Girls)

Nobody by Wonder Girls was the first Kpop song to enter the billboard top 100 chart. On the other hand, JYP puts out boy groups like 2 PM, 2 AM who respectively have the monster idol concept and ballad prince concept. 2 PM does especially well with the songs like 10/10, again and again, and heartbeat. They also became a sensation in Korea and Japan. Nich Khun, a member of 2 PM from Thailand, shows that Kpop is surely expanded beyond China and Japan.

The 2nd Generation of Kpop was loved by these mentioned groups. There were other groups such as Kara, produced by DSB, who was known as big competitors to Wonder girls and Girls Generation. Japan went crazy over them, everyone knew their songs and choreographies like step and mister.

Here ends The 2nd Generation of Kpop. The 3rd Generation will be updated soon. Till then continue reading our magazine.

Source - DKDKTV
Collected by moon_minn
Edited by BhumikaBV

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